Album Review

Usually, when a musician experiences a traumatic event in his or her life, they can seek refuge in their art, and/or use the experience to influence the direction of their next project. And that is exactly what singer/guitarist Aimee Allen has done on her 2009 release, Little Happiness. The victim of a random gang assault outside of an L.A. recording studio, Allen eventually recuperated, but the traumatic event affected her music, which now is sonically comparable to Gwen Stefani fronting Sublime. In other words, there's an unmistakable reggae-pop tinge to the proceedings, especially on such tracks as "Change in Weather" and "On Vacation" (the latter of which sounds like a jab at former boyfriend Scott Russo of Unwritten Law). Interestingly, although Little Happiness evokes summery vibes, it was recorded in Indiana during an especially cold winter. Regardless, fans of light and tuneful reggae-pop should find a Little Happiness here.

Biography

Genre: Pop

Years Active: '00s

Most victims of a major label's demise end up devastated both careerwise and emotionally, but singer/songwriter Aimee Allen is just too diverse an artist to let that happen. Raised in Missoula, MT, Allen grew up embracing all types of music, listening to everything from the Pixies to Eazy-E and later growing especially fond of Rickie Lee Jones' style of songwriting. She eventually left Montana for Los Angeles and did the usual mundane, odd jobs while shopping her demo. Small acting roles in MTV's...